Apple's core problem with France

[MacBytes]

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Category: Opinion/Interviews
Link: Apple's core problem with France (http://www.macbytes.com/link.php?sid=20060323235534)
Description:: Why might Apple hate the French parliament so much this week? It's hard to explain, so bear with me a moment.

Posted on MacBytes.com (http://www.macbytes.com)
Approved by Mudbug

[eric67]

The French Bill is not directed against Apple in particular.:rolleyes:
Guys, stop reading news about France from non French news networks, it drives me mad, the facts are not reported properly, and at the end it is purely biased news being reported... in summary not the truth!!

Facts:
- lawmakers have vote a bill that would, among other new restrictions, require DRM to be compatible: "interpolarity". In other words, the apply for all DRM-enabled music files! including AAC, WMA, Atrac3, etc
- The bill still has to go the higher chamber, then back to the lower chamber, before being signed. So if the law is voted, but not signed; then the law is not active. Trust me, we are getting close to election period in France, this law is really not popular here, and not due to "interpolarity", but due to the restrictions that might applied on our every day’s life regarding using P2P networks for legal usage.
- You are all concentrating on the potential drawback for Apple, but iTMS in France is NOT the first online music store!! it is Virgin Store the number One, using DRM-enabled WMA.
- Apple is completely right, when arguing that such interpolarity will increase iPod sales. iTMS is providing a larger and more diversified contents than the Virgin Store... so if one can play AAC-enabled files on a generic mP3 player, for sure we will see increased users of the iTMS France. And the opposite will be also true: playing WMA-enabled music on an iPod.

and to finish: we all know that it is possible to remove Fairplay DRM from AAC files, but is it the reason why Apple keeps selling millions of music tracks everyday? If we can remove DRM easily from music tracks (AAC and WMA), can one explain me why users buy iPods? it is not due to the original link between iPod and iTMS anymore... it is simply due to a fashion and technology phenomenon. iPods are great, well designed and provide a perfect music experience.

overall you are looking at this law from a small and limited angle, taking it out of the overall context...leading to wrong conclusions.

For a non-biased information, I recommend you to read the following articles: :)
http://www.hardmac.com/news/2006-03-15/#5267
http://www.hardmac.com/news/2006-03-17/#5275
http://www.hardmac.com/news/2006-03-21/#5288
http://www.hardmac.com/news/2006-03-22/#5289

[iMeowbot]

Two words: Vivendi Universal. They and the other big record companies have wanted DRM interoperability for a long time. If this legislation is passed, it could be a heavy duty bargaining chip.

[eric67]

Two words: Vivendi Universal. They and the other big record companies have wanted DRM interoperability for a long time. If this legislation is passed, it could be a heavy duty bargaining chip.
vivendi universal is a French comapny so no big surprise why such a bill has been proposed to the French parlement... lobbying...
oh by the way, the CEO of Vivendi Universal has a wife... she is a french and european lawmaker... and guess which bill was she supporting...
no comments :(

[iMeowbot]

vivendi universal is a French comapny so no big surprise why such a bill has been proposed to the French parlement... lobbying...
:D
oh by the way, the CEO of Vivendi Universal has a wife...[/quote]
Incontinentia...? oh, never mind.
she is a french and european lawmaker... and guess which bill was she supporting...
It's funny how these things work, isn't it?

I gather from the Apple hissy fit statement about "state-sponsored piracy" that they fully intend to go along with this law, should it pass:

Real Harmony? Out comes an Apple hissy fit statement about hacking, a minor change to show that Apple engineers are capable of throwing a tantrum, then nothing more, Harmony just works.

Tough iTMS negotiations in Australia? Out comes an Apple hissy fit statement about greed, then everyone kisses and makes up, and iTMS sales proceed.

And, here we are again....

[macnulty]

Two words: Vivendi Universal. They and the other big record companies have wanted DRM interoperability for a long time. If this legislation is passed, it could be a heavy duty bargaining chip.

Absolutely dead-on. People who want interoperability don't seem to understand it would hand the digital music business to the record labels. Anyone who has followed the news should know the only thing between higher song & album prices is Apple and Steve Jobs. Interoperability makes iTunes leverage nill.

(also reference my other posts in other threads, some concise some bloviating) :D

BTW, least informed article concerning economics & marketing I've read since...